


true friends stab you in the front

by sabinelagrande



Series: two flints [4]
Category: Taskmaster (UK TV) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Criminals, Alternate Universe - Prostitution, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Clothed Sex, Consensual Non-Consent, Established Relationship, Fear Play, Fingerfucking, First Time, M/M, Mentioned Greg Davies/Sally Phillips, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay, Partner Swapping, Rope Bondage, Rough Sex, Sadism, Spit As Lube
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:35:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22858645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabinelagrande/pseuds/sabinelagrande
Summary: Sally has a new employee, and the Taskmaster is very interested.
Relationships: Greg Davies/Alex Horne, Greg Davies/Josh Widdicombe, Rhod Gilbert/Alex Horne
Series: two flints [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1639948
Comments: 6
Kudos: 50





	true friends stab you in the front

Alex knows exactly what's going to happen when he sees Josh come into the back room at the House for the first time.

Sally is, as is customary, introducing her new employee to the group and impressing upon them that the first taste is not, in fact, free. None of them try anything funny on Sally's girls, because the Taskmaster would be _deeply_ displeased at their impinging on Sally's kind hospitality; they are compensated according to their value to the Taskmaster and can buy their own goods and services as befits their own personal desires.

Except the Swede. The ladies love the Swede.

So Josh comes in with Sally, and he's got those messy curls and those wide eyes, like he's shocked at even being here. Alex knows that's because he probably is, because there are a lot of reasons for him to be shocked. But Alex looks over to Greg, and he looks like he's going to simply _devour_ Josh. Alex can already see how his, Josh's, and Greg's nights are going to go, and probably the rest of the week.

Greg calls Sally over, speaking to her in a low voice. "You already know what I'm going to say," he says.

"I'm fairly certain I do," Sally says.

"Someone's going to have to show him the ropes anyway," he says.

"You want to show him more than the ropes, alright," she says.

"Oh, come on, Sally," Greg says. "What's the harm?"

She purses her lips, but she sighs, clearly having not intended to put up much of a fight. "Oh, alright. I want him back in one piece."

"I only tear Alex to pieces," Greg says, and Sally laughs even though they both know it's not a joke.

Sally walks away, and Greg sits back up in his throne. "Rhod," the Taskmaster says, beckoning him. 

"Oh no," Alex says, where no one else can hear.

"Oh yes," Greg says.

"I feel like I'm being thrown to the wolves," Alex says. 

"You love the wolves," Greg says. "Though I myself am a big ol' bear."

Rhod approaches, and the Taskmaster takes Alex by the arm, pushing him forward. "Keep him for the week. I need him out of my hair."

"Right," Rhod says, and he grabs Alex by the bicep, hard enough that it hurts.

"If you want to go, I don't have anything for you this evening," the Taskmaster says.

"Gracious of you," Rhod says.

"Giving you the night off, or not unleashing you on someone?" the Taskmaster says, smirking.

"Eh, both of 'em," Rhod says.

"Go, have fun," the Taskmaster says.

Rhod frogmarches Alex away; Alex doesn't bother to look around at people's reactions. Most of them are at the stage of "There goes Alex, being strange again," and that's the sentiment he's willing to foster within the gang. They know he's the Taskmaster's toy, and if they have a problem with that, they can leave.

It's more pressing to Alex that Rhod hasn't let him loose, still pulling him away. They only get as far as the back hallway, the one lined in bare brick that used to be part of the kitchen. Rhod turns him around and shoves him up against the wall. He's shorter and thinner than Alex, but he's quicker; also, Alex isn't going to tell him no.

"Stop fussing," Rhod says, yanking Alex's braces over his arms so he can get his trousers down. "Greg's not gentle with you either."

When no one is looking, Greg can be quite gentle. Alright, there's plenty of rough sex, but a lot of the time he lets Alex sleep next to him, curled up at his side, or fucks Alex slowly and lingeringly, his hand stroking down Alex's back. The Taskmaster would never admit to these things and Alex would never try to make him. Alex's success is tied to the Taskmaster and his image. If that gets corrupted, Alex will inevitably and irrevocably lose.

Alex's greatest fear, when it comes to Greg, is that Greg will forget who made him the Taskmaster and stop valuing him. Greg uses him in a lot of ways, some degrading and some strategic, but Alex constructed the Taskmaster. If Greg forgets that and tries to get rid of him, Alex will pull the strings that make the whole thing collapse. He can't bear to think of everything he's created falling to pieces, taking with it so many people Alex genuinely likes.

Alex's greatest fear, when it comes to Rhod, is that Rhod will murder him. It's the more terrifying of the two, but it is easier to explain.

So Alex just doesn't contradict him, trying not to struggle too much. "Please don't hurt me."

"You don't really mean that," Rhod says. "You want me to hurt you just enough."

He's right, but Alex just doesn't know if he can concede that point right this second. If you give Rhod an inch, he'll take a mile.

Rhod pulls Alex's long johns and pants down, letting them drop to his knees. "Well, what is this?" he says, palming Alex's half-hard cock. "At least part of you's not fighting."

Alex doesn't respond, resting his forehead against the rough surface of the wall. Rhod's hand is fast and dry, and it doesn't feel good but also it really does. Rhod presses against him full length, the other hand slipping underneath Alex's shirt. It slides upwards until his fingers reach Alex's nipple. Rhod pinches hard, hard enough that Alex yelps in pain.

"Careful," Rhod says. "You might bring the whole house running. Then who would I have to share you with?"

Alex gasps, both at the pain and the thought of being stuck like this, unable to do anything other than let himself get fucked by anyone who wanted a turn. He doesn't actually want that, kind of fears that Greg might one day do it, but right now with the way Rhod is treating him, it doesn't sound so bad.

Rhod's fingers tighten, then tighten again, and Alex wants to scream, even though his cock is so hard it's threatening to drip. Rhod lets go all of a sudden; Alex bites down hard on his tongue to stop from yelling, but sound still gets out.

"You are ready for it today, aren't you," Rhod says, pinching the other nipple, though not quite as hard. "You should be glad I didn't wait. Imagine you having to walk all the way back to my place with your cock rock hard, dying to get fucked." He pulls Alex's head away from the wall and holds out his palm under Alex's chin. "Spit," he says. "Make it good, because it's what you're getting."

Alex does his level best, spitting several times until Rhod takes his hand away. Alex hears him spit too, which is, at the moment, nice of him. He scissors two wet fingers inside of Alex; Alex hisses, but it could be worse. Rhod keeps fucking him on them, until Alex loosens up for him, or at least gets used to it.

Rhod spits in his hand another time and slicks them both up as best as the situation allows. Alex groans as he pushes in; it hurts, but it's not untenable, and all he can do is try to relax and take it. It's nothing worse than he's had before, though Rhod could be showing him some more consideration. It's just that that's not Rhod's way, and it's certainly not his way with Alex.

Rhod is the only member of the gang who's barred from buying services at Sally's, even though he hadn't tried yet. He kicked up a fuss about right at the beginning, but the Taskmaster just gave him a pointed, knowing look, and now nobody talks about it.

Rhod fucks him hard and quick, hammering in right from the start. Alex puts his forearms between the wall and his face, protecting himself, but he can't protect himself when Rhod yanks his hips back, setting his spine in an uncomfortable curve.

"Touch yourself," Rhod orders. He doesn't care about stopping Alex from coming; Rhod likes it better when he does, when he can rub Alex's face in the fact that he gets off on the things Rhod does to him. "Go on, make it good."

Alex's cock has gone soft, but it doesn't take much to get it back to full hardness. He's past the initial pain, and the way Rhod keeps hitting that good spot inside him is making it harder to worry about. He's almost certain Rhod's not doing it on purpose, but that's immaterial.

Alex puts his free arm on the wall and presses his forehead to it, his hand working quickly on his cock. The problem is that he does get off on the things Rhod does to him. The way Rhod humiliates him is completely different than Greg does it, and Greg doesn't hurt him doing it. Greg wouldn't even do something like this, though it is, on the scale of things, relatively minor.

This isn't a drop in the bucket compared to how bad Rhod can get.

Rhod yanks Alex's shirt out of the way and bites down hard on his shoulder, and Alex gasps. He tries to flinch away, which doesn't help; Rhod just holds on, sucking until it really hurts, not a lovebite at all. Greg doesn't like it when Alex comes back with bruises that stick out from under his clothes, but it isn't the first mark Alex will get.

Rhod has this way of making him feel easy, cheap, like he'd give in for anyone at the slightest touch. Alex doesn't like that he likes it, but he does. He's feeling it now, when all it took was Rhod pushing him up against a wall for him to spread his legs. He's already so close, just from this, even though it hurts, even though Rhod isn't thinking about Alex's wellbeing at all.

Rhod pushes in faster, and Alex comes, biting down on his arm so he won't shout. He knows that's it, that in a fundamental way he's given up, but that's how this was going to happen. He gave Greg the right to say yes and no for him; that part was done before they even started.

Rhod doesn't stop, moving faster but keeping at it, and Alex wonders how much longer he'll last. He tenses around Rhod's cock, trying to get it over with, to give himself some relief. "You sneaky little fuck," Rhod says, through gritted teeth. "You better be glad I wasn't trying to take my time."

Alex doesn't respond to that; he pushes back against Rhod instead, trying to make it good. It works, because Rhod very suddenly pulls out, making Alex hiss. He puts a hand on the wall next to Alex's head, and the next thing Alex feels is Rhod's come hitting his ass, marking him up like he's staking a claim, even if it's one he won't have for long.

After a few long moments, Rhod pulls away, turning and leaning back onto the wall beside Alex. Alex takes a few deep breaths; he's going to be feeling that one for a while, but it's not horrible. Rhod takes out his cigarette case, taking out a roll-up and putting the end into his mouth. Alex rolls Greg's cigarettes but doesn't actually smoke; Rhod knows that by now, so he lights up by himself, inhaling until the cherry flares. Alex finds it kind of mesmerizing, the simmer of red that briefly illuminates Rhod's lips in the darkness of the hallway. 

There's noise coming in distantly from the house, voices chattering, the piano that Hugh has been talked into playing, but back here it's calm, like it could be a hallway anywhere, like it's removed from everything else. Alex doesn't move at first, just rests his head against his hands. He's surprised to feel Rhod's hand on the small of his back, rubbing it soothingly. If he says anything, Rhod will stop, so Alex just enjoys it while it lasts.

Rhod opens the back door, taking a last drag on his cigarette and throwing it into the street. "Let's go back to my place. I'll tie you up and fuck you proper."

"That wasn't proper?" Alex says, as he tugs his clothing back up, ignoring the feeling of Rhod's come, half-dry, on the inside of his clothes.

"That was very improper," Rhod says, replacing Alex's braces. "Some people might even say it was rude."

Rhod is smiling now, and Alex remembers, like he always does, that Rhod is very charming when he wants to be. He doesn't think twice when it comes to violence, and he just fucked Alex up against a brick wall on nothing but spit, but one of the things that makes him dangerous is that he's not an unhinged killer, not unless he's on the job. Sometimes he's a man with a handsome smile and a playfully aggressive manner, and Alex is sometimes taken in by it.

"Come on," Alex says. He's not getting out of this, so why not make the most of it.

\--

Josh has spent most of his time with Miss Sally being shocked by one thing or another, but the Taskmaster is something else entirely. He knew, as most people know, that the Taskmaster House wasn't just a house of ill repute. He just didn't expect for it to be quite so blatant, to be shown to all these men so soon; he mostly got looks of appraisal, consideration, but not the kind of leering that he's gotten even just walking down the street.

Miss Sally has a quick conversation with the Taskmaster that Josh doesn't hear; he unfolds from his throne, then just keeps unfolding, until he seems like he's nine feet tall. Josh doesn't have a lot of time to think about it, because she ushers him away and up the stairs, to where he and the girls spend most of their time. She stops him in the hallway, not letting him make it back to his room.

"Now, dear," Miss Sally says, smiling kindly at him. "The Taskmaster wants you to entertain him. I want you to do what he says, you understand? You don't tell the Taskmaster no."

"Yes, Miss Sally," Josh says dutifully.

"You will be making me very happy," she says. "The Taskmaster is a very dear friend of mine, and if you please him, it pleases me."

"Yes, ma'am," he says.

"Now I want you to go and clean up and be ready," she says. "Run along, now."

Josh is mostly scared out of his mind. The Taskmaster is both cruel and enormous, and he could rip Josh to shreds without thinking about it, in multiple senses of that phrase. He does what he needs to do by rote, trying to lose himself in the actions and failing.

He goes to his room to wait, undressing from the waist up, and maybe it takes ten minutes, and maybe it takes three hours. Josh paces up and down the length of the room, until there is a gentle knock on the door. He sees Miss Sally open it, and the Taskmaster steps through, letting her shut the door behind him. He seems to fill up the space, like he's too much for one room.

The Taskmaster takes off his jacket, hanging it up on the wall next to the door. He walks over to the bed, sitting down, and suddenly it's like the mask falls away entirely. He's just this man sitting on the bed in the room that is now Josh's place of business. He's still enormous, but his face is kind, his smile fond. Josh is suddenly reminded of a tutor he once had, a man who was gentle, who cared.

"Come sit," the Taskmaster says, patting the bed next to him.

"Yes, Taskmaster," Josh says, doing it quickly, so he can't think about it too much.

"When we're in here, you can call me Greg," he says. "Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you." He puts his arm around Josh's shoulders, but in the way you might to anyone. "I'm going to stay with you for a couple of nights." Josh can't help the way he tenses up. "Hey, hey, none of that. This isn't about breaking your spirit or anything like that. You just need to be familiar with the job, that's all."

"O-okay," Josh stammers, and he feels himself blushing.

"Be honest with me," Greg says. "Are you really a virgin?" Josh hesitates, cringing. "I'm not going to be mad. When you leave this room, you won't be."

"I'm not," Josh says reluctantly. "I- with a girl I knew back home."

"So never with a man?" Greg asks, and Josh shakes his head. "No problem, then. We'll take it nice and slow."

"Really?" Josh says, too wary to be hopeful about it.

"I know I could snap you in half, but I'm not going to," Greg says, squeezing his shoulders. "You deserve something nice." He puts his hands on Josh's hips and moves him easily, positioning Josh in his lap, Josh straddling him. "Let's get better acquainted."

Greg just runs his hands over Josh for a moment; it's soothing, even though all the layers of Greg's clothing are still between them. He kisses Josh's shoulder, all the way to his neck. Josh is taking on faith that it's not hard enough to leave bruises, but he thinks it's pretty safe to assume.

"Are we supposed to kiss?" Josh asks. "On the mouth, I mean."

"You should do what you want to do," Greg says, lifting his mouth from Josh's neck. "If you want to do it sometimes and not other times, that's okay." He runs his hand up Josh's chest. "Do you want me to kiss you?"

"Yes," Josh says.

Greg settles his hand just below the hollow of Josh's neck; it feels like if Greg just wanted to, he could close his hand and choke Josh out, but for now, he trusts Greg enough to let him do it. Even in this position, Greg has to lean down to kiss him. He presses their lips together, and Josh is surprised at how easy it is to let him in. Greg tastes like whisky, which Josh somehow knew would be the case.

The kissing is actually really nice, but Josh finally pulls away. "This isn't how it's going to be, is it."

"No, but you knew it wasn't," Greg says. "Worry about that later. Let me take care of you. Besides, I can recommend you to some people who like the softer side of things. It's all about finding an audience." He breaks off to kiss Josh again, which is fine, given how Josh feels like he might float away. It's a while before he speaks. "Some men like it when they can be protective of a sweet boy. We'll get you in with that set, and they'll beat the shit out of anyone who does you wrong."

"What does Miss Sally think?" Josh asks, because it seems awfully presumptuous.

"She thought all of this from the moment you walked in the door," Greg says. "She'd think I was ridiculous for taking this long to catch up." He curls a hand around Josh's hip. "Now, this whole plan hinges on you being very good at sex."

"What if I'm not?" Josh says, a very real fear that he is still getting his head around.

"Why don't I give you some practice, and we'll see how you feel at the end," Greg says, which isn't an answer but does ease his mind.

"Okay," Josh says.

Greg doesn't say anything; he guides Josh onto his back, settling himself between Josh's legs. The thing that really strikes him is how different this feels from anything he's done before, something beyond fumbling in the half-dark. Greg is kissing him deliberately, something measured about it, like this is following a plan.

Greg kisses a line down to one of Josh's nipples; he hadn't expected them to be sensitive at all. They just kind of sit there being useless. But when Greg gets his lips around one of them, it's like a jolt through Josh's system. Josh groans as Greg bites down, not terribly hard but hard enough that Josh feels it, his flesh so sensitive under Greg's teeth.

He's so distracted that he doesn't really realize why Greg is running his hand down Josh's stomach; it slips under the waistband of his trousers and into his pants. Josh cries out when Greg wraps it around his cock, his hips bucking up into Greg's grasp. Greg doesn't take his hand away, stroking him. Josh breathes unsteadily; Greg's hand is firm and sure, and he's going slowly, almost unbearably slowly with how wound up Josh already is.

Josh pushes his clothing down quickly, kicking it off his feet, and it doesn't even register to him that he's completely naked in front of someone he's only just met until he's already done it. He doesn't necessarily like what that makes him, but he really enjoys what Greg is doing to him. Maybe he can just focus on that and try to pick things apart after he's already ruined.

Greg gives his other nipple the same treatment before pulling away, his hand still on Josh's cock. Greg doesn't even have to look to know where the oil is, just pulls it out of the drawer next to the bed. It ruins the effect a little, but Josh is feeling a bit to eager to worry about it right this second.

"Just relax," Greg says, uncapping the oil and pouring some on his fingers. Josh feels like there could be significantly more, but he doesn't share that opinion. "This is going to feel good, alright?"

Something about Greg's voice makes him sound like that's going to be true, like he's decided it by fiat; Josh supposes that's what makes the Taskmaster work, that Greg can just say things like they're going to happen and then make it that way.

"Alright, then," Josh says, and he spreads his legs wider.

"Determined," Greg says, and Josh gasps as his finger runs over Josh's hole, not pressing in just yet. "I like that."

The oil is slightly cold, but it doesn't feel terrible. Actually, it feels kind of good, especially because Greg is still stroking him. Greg's finger pushes slowly inside of him; his finger is thick, but so far it doesn't seem to hurt.

"Do you like that?" Greg asks him.

"I don't kn- ah!" Josh says, interrupted halfway through when Greg wiggles his finger.

"Sorry, I just had to see the look on your face," Greg says, grinning. "Let me see if I can make it up to you."

Greg pushes his finger in deeper, curving it maybe, and he strikes something in Josh that feels like metal hitting flint, sparks flying.

"There we go," Greg says. "That's a bit better, isn't it?"

"That's very good," Josh says, breathing heavily all of a sudden.

Greg doesn't move his hand, but he moves his body lower, until his face is even with Josh's cock. Josh thinks he can't possibly, and then Greg is licking along the underside of his cock.

"I'm going to do this to you until you come," Greg says, his breath ghosting over Josh's cock, and he pulls his finger out; he pushes back in with two, which feels like a lot more but not impossibly so. "Just relax and let me."

Josh goes limp against the bed, because he doesn't really have a choice in the face of something like this. Greg's fingers keep stroking that spot, and he's never even had someone put their mouth on his cock at all. He honestly didn't think any of this was going to feel good, but Greg is going to make him fall apart. Maybe he can at least handle some fingers; if he can do that, he's on the right track.

Greg just doesn't stop. He can take almost all of Josh's cock down, and he's doing it, cheeks hollowed. It feels so fucking good that Josh can't take it, arching off the bed, his arm thrown over his eyes. He wants to stay in this moment for the rest of his life, just drowning in it, the pleasure more than he's ever gotten to experience.

Josh knows he's going to come; he tries to pull away, but Greg puts a hand on his hip and holds him there. It's the first hint of force that Greg has shown, and Josh can't decide if he loves or hates it. Greg works his fingers faster, hitting the right spot, and Josh can't handle it anymore, spilling into his mouth with a cry.

He doesn't move at all, not even when Greg pulls away from him. He's still putting himself back together, and he's not doing a great job. "You feeling alright?" Greg asks, with amusement in his voice.

"Mmm," Josh says.

Greg lays down next to him. He puts a hand on Josh's stomach, which feels comforting. It takes him another minute to get his head straight, but it comes back to him, where he is, what he's doing.

"I guess I should do something for you," Josh says, and it sounds horrible when it comes out of his mouth, but Greg laughs.

"If you wouldn't mind," Greg says.

"I don't know what you want," Josh says, which is something of a lie. He knows exactly what Greg wants, but he's trying to paper over that, buy himself some time.

"Maybe just your hand for now," Greg says, and Josh remembers that Greg is still fully clothed.

"Do you want me to undress you?" Josh asks.

"Not yet," Greg says. He undoes his waistcoat, leaving him room to unbutton his trousers, pulling them down just enough.

Josh can't help watching, but he immediately looks back up. "That's a big cock."

"It is," Greg says. "Remember what I said? Slow. When I fuck you, you'll enjoy it."

"Really?" Josh says, still kind of not believing that he's going to get all that up him and like doing it. He also didn't miss that it was "when" and not "if."

"Really," Greg says. "Don't go telling everyone the Taskmaster is a pussycat. Only the most special boys get this kind of treatment."

"People say the only people you're kind to are working girls," Josh says.

Greg shrugs. "That's a reputation I don't mind having. If you have to have a soft spot, why not people who could use someone scary in their corner."

"They say, um," Josh says, having a hard time trying to find a tactful way to say it. "They say, about you, that you, um, have a big appetite."

"I do have a big appetite, but I think you're talking about how everyone thinks I'm a sex maniac," Greg says.

"Is that true?" Josh says.

"Where would I find the time?" Greg says. "Somehow someone started the rumor that I have twenty-four hour fuck marathons constantly, which doesn't even sound appealing. Besides, I'm fifty, I'm doing well to go twice in one day." Josh tries not to show how relieved he is. "None of this means I don't get my fair share."

"From who?" Josh asks, because he can't stop his curiosity now.

"Mostly your boss," Greg says, looking amused. "But trust me, I don't get her, she gets me."

Josh definitely did not know that, but somehow it makes perfect sense. "And Alex," he says, just to get it out of the way.

Greg shrugs. "Of course with Alex. That barely even counts."

"And with me?" Josh says, not sure if he's hopeful or not.

"We'll just have to see about that," Greg says. "Go on, then."

Josh's fingers almost don't touch when he takes Greg's cock into his hand. It is, to say the least, intimidating, and Josh can't even imagine taking it inside him, even if he's taken Greg's fingers. At least Josh is on much firmer footing with this; he does have a cock, and he has stroked it on many occasions. This is backwards, but not exactly the world's biggest challenge.

There's already precome at the tip, and Josh spreads it with his thumb, making things a little slicker. Greg sighs, looking for all the world like he's enjoying this, like Josh is doing well, being good.

Josh had absolutely no idea he wanted to be good. This has been a trying evening, to say the least.

Josh keeps going; Greg's still in his suit, so it's not like Josh can do anything else, run his hands over his skin, see if his nipples are sensitive too. Instead he takes Greg's balls into his other hand, handling them gently, trying to make it as good as possible.

"Stop," Greg says gently, pushing Josh away.

"I'm sorry," Josh says, though he doesn't know what he's apologizing for.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Greg says. "But if you don't stop, I'm going to come, and that's the end of the evening."

"So that- that's- you-" Josh says, unable to get any words out, unable to move. He just freezes up at the thought of it, that he's still on the hook, that Greg is going to go farther.

"What's wrong?" Greg says, smoothing Josh's hair back from his forehead.

"Miss Sally said I couldn't say no," Josh admits.

Greg sighs. "Of course she did," he says.

"I'm so sorry," Josh says quickly, ashamed he brought it up. "Let me just-"

"Calm down," Greg says. "If you don't want to tonight, then we'll try again tomorrow. I'm not going to force you."

Josh winces. "Are you sure that's alright?"

"What I say goes," Greg says, in that same authoritative voice. "Do you want to finish me off?"

"Um," Josh says. "I can do it with my mouth if you like."

"You're more than welcome," Greg says, pushing gently on his shoulder until Josh comes face to face with his cock. "It won't take much. Just watch your teeth."

Josh thought this would be kind of disgusting, but it isn't. Greg tastes like salt, but not much else; the head is smooth, and Josh takes it into his mouth, sucking. He has no idea what he's doing, but it seems like it doesn't matter, not right this second. Greg is running a hand through his hair like he's petting him; it feels nice though, calming.

The whole thing doesn't take long; Greg was already close when they started, and all Josh has to do is take over. He doesn't get a warning when Greg comes. Suddenly Greg groans and then it's happening, an acrid taste in Josh's mouth. He doesn't know what to do that won't make a mess or lead to him choking, so he just swallows it down and tries not to think about it too hard.

When it's finished, Greg pulls him up, arranging them so that Josh is face down, halfway on top of him. Greg is warm and study, so Josh really doesn't mind it at all.

Greg is gone when Josh wakes up. Josh isn't surprised. He also knows that he isn't done.

\--

Alex is trying with everything in him not to move.

He's currently tied to the bedframe in the bedroom of Rhod's small flat. For once, mercifully, the ropes aren't cutting into his wrists, but Alex doesn't think he could get out, even if he dislocated his thumbs.

He's been here for a while. He's been at Rhod's place for a while, but an hour ago, they were just fucking normally, or as normal as it gets with Rhod. Alex was on his hands and knees, fingers clenching in the bedsheets as Rhod fucked him. Rhod came without getting Alex off, which wasn't particularly shocking, though Alex was surprised when Rhod flipped him onto his back and climbed on top of him, taking a coil of rope from a nail on the wall and binding his wrists.

He tied Alex to the bed and climbed off it, looking down at Alex. "I have some friends coming over to talk business," he said. "If you're perfectly silent, I won't open the door."

And with that he left, and Alex has been here since.

Outside the door, there are voices and the smell of cigarette smoke. Alex isn't concerned about the company; he can hear that it's just Iain and Romesh. The three of them meet together frequently, because they're the physical side of the operation, working up in degrees. Iain intimidates people and roughs them up, Romesh gets sent in when the roughing up is not quite rough enough, and Rhod is the wetworks.

Alex is making an attempt to listen, even though Rhod is going to tell Greg whatever it is, and then Greg is going to tell Alex. On the whole, it's much more important for him to just stay still. He doesn't want Iain or Romesh to see him like this; it's not like they'd be exactly _surprised_ , but that's a level of humiliation that's pretty far gone even for Alex. He also thinks that maybe Iain would try to stand up for him, and that's the last thing he needs.

So he's just trying to keep quiet. The biggest thing working against him is the bed itself; it's old and cheap, so it squeaks whenever you look at it wrong. If Alex pulls against the ropes even a little bit, it moves the top of the frame, which makes it grind against its supports. This is a problem, because the ropes aren't comfortable, and Alex would really like to turn his wrists to give them at least a little relief, make them pull on a different place for a while.

The other problem is that Alex is turned on beyond belief. He never got to come in the first place, and he can still feel Rhod's trickling out of him. His cock is leaking copiously onto his stomach, and all of it is making him want to _move_ , even if that only means he can hump the air. He wants to squirm, to flip over and rub off on the mattress, to do anything that will get him out of this situation.

He doesn't know if Rhod would actually open the door. That's the thing with Rhod: Rhod is completely unpredictable. Alex lets Greg handle him, because Greg is the only person who seems to know how to control him. It's not that he doesn't do what Alex says; he never listened in the first place to find out what it was. There's enough credibility in the threat that Alex just doesn't think he can risk it.

So he's just going to stay tied to this bed, breathing quietly and slowly, until something changes.

Finally, _finally_ , he hears the front door open, and the retreating sound of voices. He thinks for a horrible moment that Rhod will leave with them, but then he hears footsteps returning. Rhod opens the bedroom door, and it's just him, all alone.

"Quiet as a little mouse," Rhod says, stripping out of his clothes again. "Good boy." Alex flushes a little under the praise; he used to try to hide it, but with Rhod and Greg both, they're past that. Rhod pushes his knees apart and kneels between them. He draws a finger through the pool of precome on Alex's stomach. "Look at the state of you."

Rhod runs his finger along Alex's bottom lip before pressing it into his mouth. Alex sucks it clean without prompting, licking his lip when Rhod pulls his finger away. Rhod bends down and kisses him, biting at him.

Rhod leans back, and Alex lets out a little cry as Rhod pushes his fingers inside him again. "I left you a mess, didn't I?" he says, working them in and out. "Must have been just awful, having to wait like that."

"It was," Alex says.

"Did you hate it?" Rhod asks, twisting his fingers.

"Yes," Alex gasps.

"Would you let me do it again?" Rhod says, toying with him.

"You'd make me whether I wanted to or not," Alex says.

"Right answer," Rhod says. He slicks himself up quickly before pushing back inside Alex, all at once, his skin slapping against Alex's. Alex groans. He's been dying for this, for Rhod to come back and finish what he started; he's been dying to make noise, to not be left alone. His enthusiasm much show, because Rhod grins, but Alex is past the point of being ashamed of it.

Alex strains against the bedframe, the ropes cutting into his wrists, because he can't take it. He needs to move; Rhod ties him up all the time, so he doesn't know why this is different, but it is. Rhod looks triumphant above him, and Alex thrusts up against him, unable to stand it, the weight of that look and the feeling of Rhod inside of him.

"That's it," Rhod says. "Not so passive now, huh? I knew you had some fight in you."

"Do it harder," Alex says.

He's not even sure how much longer Rhod keeps fucking him; the ropes are chafing his wrists and he's dying to come. He groans loudly when Rhod takes his cock into his hand, stroking him quickly.

"Show me how much you want this," Rhod orders. "Show me how much you liked me doing this to you."

Alex is helpless to resist, coming hard; in the same moment he feels Rhod spilling inside of him, the two of them synced. Alex can't even remember how to move, to breathe, anything but how the weight of Rhod's body feels on his.

Rhod undoes the ropes before he actually pulls out, reaching up and making quick work of them. He lays down next to Alex, who sits up, checking his wrists for marks and stretching out his arms; Rhod watches him do it with a kind of sated disinterest.

"I don't hate you, and I don't hate Greg," Rhod says, which comes out of nowhere as far as Alex is concerned. 

"I didn't say you did," Alex says carefully. 

"I know how you look at me and him," Rhod says. "You look like a scared little ferret."

"That's not very complimentary," Alex says, because he can get away with saying things like that to Rhod.

"Me and Greg are mates, alright?" he says. "Have been since before you even set up the Taskmaster. It's me and him, beyond debts owed. I fuck you whenever he lets me because you're a good fuck, and I hurt you because I get off on it. This isn't a revenge thing."

"I am a little relieved," Alex admits. It's always been in the back of his mind, that idea that Rhod does the things he does to Alex to get back at Greg, to prove to him that he can use Greg's property if he wants to, even though Greg always gives him permission.

"So don't sit there and get some fuckin' idea in your head like you have to pick a side, or you're betraying somebody," Rhod says. "We both know whose side you'd pick. It's just that I'm on his side too. You're one of Greg's, and that makes you one of mine."

Alex isn't sure what to say, so he doesn't say anything. Rhod wouldn't take kindly to being thanked after something like that. Alex isn't thankful, exactly. He's just glad to not have to worry about it, the way he feels sometimes like Rhod is going too far with him to prove a point, deliberately provoking Greg by it.

Rhod's entire job is to go too far, but unlike most of the people Greg sends Rhod to go too far on, Alex would like to keep all his limbs.

"Let's get some sleep, yeah?" Rhod says.

"Gladly," Alex says. "I'm exhausted."

"All you did was lay there," Rhod says. "I did all the hard work."

"That's not how I remember it," Alex says, and Rhod laughs.

\--

Greg comes back, which Josh knew would happen. He's more ready this time; he's starting to settle in, get his head sorted. It's a difficult process, but he's getting near it.

When Greg walks in, Josh takes his jacket and unbuttons his waistcoat, setting them both aside. "This is a bit different," Greg says, as Josh unbuttons his braces, letting them hang as he works on the buttons of Greg's shirt.

"You got away with not getting naked last time," Josh says. "It wasn't fair."

"So you decided on an ambush?" Greg says.

"Not really," Josh says.

Greg doesn't let him get away with staying clothed either, and once they're both undressed, Josh takes him by the wrist and leads him to the bed, not that Josh could lead him anywhere if Greg didn't want him to.

Josh is getting through this by sheer determination, which Greg doesn't need to know. He does want it; he's attracted to Greg, more so than he thought he would be. Greg's size scared him at first, and the size of his cock still scares him, but doing this with Greg specifically is not a problem.

It's the whole enterprise that's really hanging him up.

If he thinks about it too much, he'll end up stalling out, so he keeps going. He actually starts to really like it, the two of them together, Greg's fingers pushing into him to open him up wide. Greg's hands are so hot on his skin, and Josh presses into them, wanting more, wanting everything-

And then it all sort of collapses in on him, the weight of what's happened, the threat of what he is becoming, and Josh crumples.

"Why are you crying?" Greg says gently, taking Josh's face into his hands. "If you hate this, you don't have to do it. We'll get you out of the city, maybe you can get on as a laborer-"

"I don't hate it," Josh says miserably. "I don't hate it at all."

"You thought you were grimly marching to your doom, is that it?" Greg says softly, like he's figured it out.

"What does it make me if I like it?" Josh says.

"A good candidate for this line of work," Greg says, manoeuvering Josh off of him. "Some people get forced into this life. Some people choose it. Ask Jess. She gave up a perfectly legitimate life to come here. It doesn't make you a bad person if you like it."

"It makes me a slut," Josh says.

"So what?" Greg says; it hurts that he didn't say that Josh isn't, but Greg is too practical for that. "Technically, sluts give it away for free, but you would be having sex with a lot of different people. If you can't handle that, my offer stands to help you leave."

Josh can't articulate any of what he's feeling, but Greg seems to get that. He pulls Josh into his arms, pressing Josh's face against his shoulder. "You have me on your side, alright?" he says, stroking Josh's hair. "Anytime you don't think you can handle it, you come to me. Anyone you're not sure about, I'll check them out. I'm going to keep you safe. You're my special boy, and you have the Taskmaster's protection."

Josh takes a deep breath, and he lets himself level out. It's easier with Greg underneath him, who feels unshakeable, like he couldn't possibly doubt or cave. He's ruined the whole evening, he does know that, but he can't help but try and save it.

"I still want to keep going," Josh says. "Tonight, I mean."

"If we keep going, I'm going to fuck you," Greg says.

"I know," Josh tells him. "I want you to. You've been so nice to me."

"If that's your only reason, I'm not going to do it," Greg says.

"It's not," Josh says. "I think I would like it." He hesitates a little, though he doesn't know why. "Also I find you really attractive."

"That's a much better reason," Greg says. He pushes Josh onto his side, turned away from him, and spoons up behind him. "Like this." 

He pushes Josh's knee up, moving it out of his way. He slides his fingers in again, seeking out the right spot as they spread him open, and it makes Josh want to squirm, to hurry him up. 

Greg pulls his fingers out, putting a hand on Josh's hip. The head of his cock rubs against Josh's hole, and it feels impossibly large. It takes everything Josh has not to tense up again. 

"It's going to be alright," Greg says soothingly. "Let me do it, okay? Just let me move you. I don't want you to get overconfident and hurt yourself."

The head of Greg's cock breaches him, finally, and Josh just tries to breathe and take it. It doesn't feel anything like he expected; it doesn't feel like fingers at all, just feels smooth and blunt, an insistent pressure.

"Oh fuck," Josh says. He thought it would hurt more than it does; it's not painless, but Greg pushes in slowly and easily, Josh's body yielding for him.

"That's it," Greg says. "You can do it. Just relax and take me."

"Right," Josh says, trying to focus on relaxing, which is not how relaxing works.

Greg kisses his shoulder. "Can you take more?"

"Yeah," Josh pants. "Yes. Keep going."

Greg does, and Josh bites his lip. It feels so much better than he expected; he expected Greg to rip him in half, but he's just sliding in, and Josh is letting him.

He can feel it when Greg bottoms out, the two of them flush, the faint scratch of Greg's hair against his sensitive skin. "Is that it?" Josh says breathlessly.

Greg laughs. "Just some advice: no man has ever wanted to hear that."

"I didn't mean it like that," Josh says, going even redder. "I just thought it would be worse."

"You're doing a great job," Greg says. "Most people can't do that on a first try."

"Thank you," Josh says, and Greg kisses the top of Josh's head.

"Move your hips," Greg says. "Not much. Just see how it feels."

Josh takes him up on it, rocking just a little. It feels really good, actually, which is not what he thought at all. "Not bad," Josh says.

Greg laughs again, and Josh can feel the vibration of it in his body, where Greg is pressed against him. Greg starts moving his hips, withdrawing just a bit to push back in. He keeps doing it, and Josh feels like every inch of him is sensitized.

"Please keep doing that," he says.

"Oh, I have every intention," Greg says.

Josh loses himself in it almost immediately. Nothing is more important than Greg inside of him, fucking him steady and deep. He thought this was going to be awful, but nothing about it is. In the very back of his mind, he can't quite root out the thought that this is special, the exception to the rule, not how things will go after tonight, but the pleasure blots it out, pushes it away, to be kept in a box until it's needed.

"You were made to do this," Greg says, and Josh groans. "Such a good boy."

"More," Josh says, because he can't think of anything he wants more than that.

Greg rolls them over, so that he's on top of Josh, and pulls Josh's hips up. He can go harder at this angle, and Josh wants him to. It's going to hurt later; it hurts a little now. It's just that the pleasure outweighs it, makes that seem like such a remote thing.

Josh's fingers are clenched in the sheets, and Greg frees one of them, leading it to Josh's cock. Josh starts stroking himself immediately, needing it, wanting it badly. He feels it in his entire body, the overwhelming pleasure of it, Greg heavy and thick and overtaking him completely.

Josh shouts when he comes, his back arching, hips bucking back against Greg's. It feels different than it ever has before, and he can't get enough of it. Greg keeps going, drawing it out, but then he stops, pushing in all the way; Josh feels the way he pulses, the wetness that follows.

After an age, Greg rolls off of him; the bed bounces with his weight, which isn't surprising. Josh makes a noise of protest when he gets off the bed, but Greg puts a hand between his shoulder blades. "Right back," he says.

True to his word, Greg only leaves long enough to find something to clean up with. It feels nice, and Josh just lets him do it, resting his face on his hands. When it's done, Greg sits down next to him, stroking his back. "How was that?" he asks.

"That was amazing," Josh says honestly.

"Good," Greg says. "See? There's nothing to this at all."

"You might have to show me again," Josh says.

"I think that that can be arranged," Greg says.

\--

When the Taskmaster enters his den, his assistant is already in his chair, making a list of something or another in a book. That's where the assistant records the Taskmaster's affairs; more accurately, it's the place where Alex makes plans.

The Taskmaster sits in his throne; he actually has been occupying it in the last few days, enough to prove that he's paying attention, but Alex has mostly been absent. Greg takes a look around. "Rhod's not here?"

"Sleeping it off, I think," Alex says.

"Ran him ragged, did you?" Greg says.

"I'd say he had the upper hand entirely," Alex says, making a check mark in the book. "Wait until I take my clothes off. I look like someone sicced a wolverine on me and threw me down a flight of stairs."

Greg frowns. "Did he throw you down a flight of stairs?"

"No," Alex says. "It's just the effect of all the bruising."

"That I don't mind," Greg says.

"Have a nice weekend?" Alex says, and Greg is still sort of amazed that he can say it with not even a shadow of jealousy in his voice.

"I did in fact run someone ragged," Greg says, putting a hand on the arm of Alex's chair. "Quite a nice time, actually."

"Good," Alex says. He puts a hand over Greg's, squeezing it for just a moment before taking it back.

The Taskmaster still has work to do. It's just that it seems a little lighter today.


End file.
